cis-decalin diamines and cis-decalin diols were designed as novel ligands for asymmetric synthesis. X-ray strctures of the diamine tartrate salt and the diol unambiguopusly show that the compounds adopt the confirmations required for metal binding. In addition, the structure of the diamine established the absolute configuaration of the resolved ligand. The diamine and its derivatives have been shown to function as effective ligands in asymmetric lithiation reactions and in copper-catalyzed asymmetric biaryl coupling reactions. The diol ligands are being examined in titanium catalyzed reactions.
In the X-ray structure of the diamine tartrate, the tartrate ion is hydrogen bonded to the diamine ion and to a molecule of methanol which is also hydrgen bonded to a water molecule. (In the chemsymphony window below, the hydrogen bonds are in green):